From CBD News Source
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Slated to play the second most home games in school history at an expanded Jim Patterson Stadium, the Louisville baseball program released its 2013 schedule on Wednesday afternoon.
The Cardinals are scheduled to host 36 games overall at Jim Patterson Stadium, second only to the 43 home games played during the 1980 season. The home portion of the schedule is highlighted by a weekend series against 2012 College World Series qualifier Kent State, a three-game set with Southeastern Conference foe Alabama, a two-game series against 12-time national champion USC and mid-week games against regional rivals Vanderbilt, Kentucky, Purdue, Indiana and Western Kentucky. Louisville will also host four BIG EAST Conference series in 2013 with visits from Notre Dame, Pittsburgh, Rutgers and Georgetown.
“With the expansion of Jim Patterson Stadium placing it among the elite college ballparks in the nation, it was paramount that we build a home schedule that gives our fans as many opportunities as possible to see their team compete against some of the top programs around this region and throughout the nation,” said head coach Dan McDonnell, who is entering his seventh season with the Cardinals. “Coming off of another BIG EAST championship season, our fifth NCAA Regional in six years and our fourth NCAA Regional final, it was also important to have a schedule that would prepare us for the post-season. With the team we have returning for 2013, the high expectations in our program and the success we’ve had in the past, we believe this very competitive schedule could be the final piece in the formula to take us to Omaha again.”
Louisville will open the 2013 season at the BIG EAST/Big Ten Challenge where they will face Indiana (Feb. 15, Dunedin, Fla.), USF (Feb. 16, Clearwater, Fla.) and Purdue (Feb. 17, St. Petersburg, Fla.), an NCAA Regional host in 2012. The Cardinals are 8-1 all-time in the event, which is hosted by the St. Petersburg/Clearwater Area Sports Commission.
U of L will then open its home slate in the expanded Jim Patterson Stadium on Wednesday, Feb. 20 against in-state foe Eastern Kentucky. The expansion project will increase capacity to the Cardinals’ home ballpark to more than 4,000, including 3,000 chairback seats, making it the largest facility in the BIG EAST Conference and one of the largest in the nation.
The home-opener will be followed by the first of six straight weekends at home when the Cardinals host Mid-American Conference member Akron on Feb. 22-24. After a midweek home game against Morehead State, Louisville will open the month of March with the three-game showdown at Patterson Stadium against Kent State (March 1-3), which went 1-2 in Omaha and finished the season ranked as highly as No. 6 in the nation.
Following a midweek road contest at Eastern Kentucky (March 6), the Cardinals will return to Jim Patterson Stadium to open a 12-game homestand on March 8-10 against Alabama. That will be followed by a mid-week game against Purdue on March 13. After a weekend series against Xavier (March 15-17), Louisville will host Pac-12 Conference foe USC for a pair of midweek games on March 19-20.
BIG EAST Conference action will begin with a three-game series at home against Rutgers (March 22-24), which will be followed by a midweek road game at Indiana on March 26. League action will resume on March 28-30 when Notre Dame visits Louisville for a three-game slate.
The month of April will begin with a midweek visit from in-state rival Kentucky (April 2) before Louisville takes to the road for a weekend series against long-time conference rival Cincinnati on April 5-7. Following a midweek game at Western Kentucky on April 9, the Cardinals host Southern Conference foe Elon for a three-game, non-conference set at Jim Patterson Stadium. That will be followed by a midweek road game at Kentucky (April 16) and a weekend series at reigning BIG EAST Tournament champion and 2012 NCAA Super Regional qualifier St. John’s on April 19-21.
The Cardinals will then return home for a midweek home game against SEC foe Vanderbilt on April 23 before hosting Georgetown for a three-game set on April 26-28. Louisville will close the month at home against Western Kentucky on April 30.
The final month of the regular season will begin with a weekend BIG EAST series at Villanova on May 3-5. After a midweek home game against Indiana on May 8, the Cardinals will return to the road for a three-game set at Connecticut (May 10-12). Following a midweek road game at Ohio State on May 14), Louisville will close the regular season with a home series against Pittsburgh on May 16-18.
The 2013 BIG EAST Championship is set for May 22-26 at Bright House Field in Clearwater, Fla., where the Cardinals have won two tournament titles and have an 18-8 record overall. The 2013 NCAA Championship is scheduled to begin on May 31 with regional play. The College World Series in Omaha, Neb., is slated from June 15-25/26 at TD Ameritrade Park.
Live audio and/or video coverage for all 56 regular season games and all post-season games for the Cardinals in 2013 will be available to subscribers through CardsTV at UofLsports.com. All radio and television arrangements for the 2013 Louisville baseball season will be announced at a later date.
